Are goats and chickens considered pets or livestock?

Question

I am about to move into a house and signed the lease agreement with my 2 other roommates. We wanted to have chickens in our back yeard, and possibly a goat. The lease ageement says no pets. So, could we have chickens? goats? dont they fall under livestock therefore legally not pets. We hate the landlords already due to their extreme bias towards us college boys--they raised the rent on us etc. i really want chickens for eggs, haha. could we get around it. can they legally tell us not to have the chickens if their lease says nothing about not having livestock? like i said, it only says not pets

Answer 1

If it's within the city limits, you're probably not allowed to have livestock, anyway.

I'd say they have a good case for saying no, but what's the worst that can happen?

Answer 2

If they say "no pets" then they mean "no animals".

Chickens & goats are not normally considered pets, but I'm certain the landlords would frown upon such a transparent attempt to get around the "no pets" clause.

Answer 3

Livestock if you eat them. Pets if you name them.

Answer 4

This might all be a moot point -- check with your city or town and see if you're allowed to raise livestock at all in your neighborhood. If it's a residential area, I'll bet that you're not.

(Have you ever lived next to a house with a chicken coop in the back yard?)

And by the way, just because the lease doesn't say you're not allowed to do something does NOT mean you're allowed to do it.

Answer 5

You will lose your housing if you did.  Most landlords are jerks.  You should of seen my lease agreement when I was renting.  Heres some of the rules, no plugging in the car, no garden hoses, no sidewalk chalk, no candels, no skooters, no skateboards, no rollarblades, no water balloons, no frisbees, no ball playing, no climbing trees, if the rent wasn't paid by the 10th eviction process was started.  This was a apartment complex for low income families, nothing for the kids to do but play video games, and watch TV.  I'm so glad I got my education, a good paying job so I no longer rent.  

Answer 6

If the lease says no pets then you want be able to have ANY animals on the property.  My brother and dad were in a similar situation with a lease that said no pets and they had a hog in a pen outside and the owner was able to evict them.  Just to be sure you should check with an attorney in your state.

Answer 7

If someone doesn't want animals on their land, you don't get to put animals on their land no matter what you call them. You'll have to ask if you can have chickens and go by their wishes.  

Answer 8

you will get booted. they are not pets, but you can't own livestock in city limits. unless it's a farm you are S.O.L.

Answer 9

They classify what is a pet so yes they could declare the chickens and goats as pets not livestock. Your argument might work if you owned a home or land but for renting you pretty much don't have a say.